Fused

The doctor looked at the x-ray, then said, “As you can see, the vertebrae are completely fused here at the top of the spinal column. The ones at the bottom there are becoming fused. And the spine itself is actually quite curved now, as you can see.”

“What’s that gray there?” I asked.

“That’s poop,” she said. “He’s pretty backed up, I’d guess.”

I look at Dad, who smiles a little at me. “I’m fine,” he says. “Going each morning.”

I doubt he remembers, but.

With a black polished fingernail, I point at the x-ray. “So when you say fused, that means it’s done, right? Like there’s no un-fusing it.”

“Right,” she said, then lit up a smoke. “Once they’re grown together, then there’s no getting them apart. Of course we could always grow him a new one.”

“No,” Dad said.

The doctor backed off, took a drag.

“Okay, thanks, Doc,” I say and then we end the call.

The Bubble™ popped, taking the doctor’s office and the x-rays away from Dad’s living room.

“Thank you for choosing Bubble™, your lifeline to the outside world,” the robot said. “A product of the CoDex Corporation.”

I watch to see if Dad has any reaction to that last bit, but he doesn’t. There’s a story there, which longtime readers might remember. (Or maybe only one reader.) But it’s not necessary. I mean, Dad doesn’t, so why do you need to?

To continue reading along the Dad path, click here.

Play procedures

• If you need a doctor, you can use this one. I haven’t named them yet, so feel free to name them in your journal however you’d like. I have a personal physician, but. It’s complicated.

• Think about a time when you learned something about a relative but they have forgotten it. It mustn’t be something co-experienced; it was told to you by the relative who has forgotten it. Now consider: did it really happen? Of course it did in actuality, but if they cannot recall it, and you weren’t there, did it happen? Think about what this might mean narratively rather than, say, metaphysically. If you’re keeping a journal, write it down. If you’re doing writing challenges, share your post when you’re done.

• If you haven’t collected a Bubbler yet and would like one, you can add it to your inventory.